Evangelion Life-Size Statue, With Cockpit

With not much left to keep fans busy, between this month's massively pre-ordered Blu-ray and DVD edition of Evangelion: 2.22, and the yet-to-be-set premire of Evangelion: 3.0, something vaguely interesting is now rising over the horizon. Literally. Taking a queue from last year's life-size Gundam statue and other similar erections based on mecha titles, Neon Genesis Evangelion is also set to receive a life-size statue; with a couple of key distinctions.



First of all, it won't really be a complete 80-meter-tall statue, only a bust, as visitors will only be able to see the upper part of its "caged" body - like that scene from the anime, where Shinji is first introduced to the EVA-01 unit.

Second, a full-size cockpit will also be available to visitors, who will be given the option to have their picture taken in it, for a few extra yen. Although it's not quite clear if said cockpit will be embedded in the statue, or as a separate pavilion.

Anyway, the statue / bust and cockpit will be part of an attraction called "Evangelion: World - Life-Size EVA-01 Construction Project", hosted by the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park from Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi - which is a ways West of Tokyo, near the base of Mount Fuji. The pavilion - whose construction costs rise to 150 million yen ($1.6 million) - will open for visitors on July 23, 2010.